Apple TV is a great device and comes in handy to watch TV when you don’t have cable or any other type of streaming platform. Unfortunately, Apple TV does have its problems as all other devices do from time to time. A couple of people have reported having an issue with their screen being black or blank even though their TV is on and everything is connected. Here you’ll learn a couple of ways to fix your Apple TV black screen and get it working again.
How to Fix Apple TV Black Screen
In this section, you will learn 7 methods to fix the black screen problem of your Apple TV.
1. Restart the app causing the problem
If you are trying to watch TV using an app, but it just shows a black screen. One of the first and easiest things you can try to fix the Apple TV black screen is to restart the app that you’re using at the moment. This is very simple to do and very quick. You’ll be surprised at how much of an impact something as simple as this has. So when things are not working as they should, the option to force quit an app can come in very handy to get things functioning again. So to restart an app follow these steps:
- Quickly press the home button twice.
- Click left to scroll to and select the app you want to close.
- Swipe up or quickly press up twice on the chosen app to force it closed.
- Press the menu or back button to exit the app switcher.
- Then re-open the app.
2. Restart Apple TV
Another method you could try to fix Apple TV black screen is to restart your Apple TV. There are two different ways that this can be done. One of the first ways is to restart it by doing a power cycle. That means unplugging your Apple TV from the power outlet and leaving it unplugged for a minute or two before plugging it back in. This should completely reboot the system and fix the issue.
Another way to restart is with your remote. Press and hold the Back and Control Center buttons until the light indicator flashes and your Apple TV restarts. This method may be different depending on which remote you have so make sure you check the version or generation of your remote.
3. Turn off frame rate and dynamic range matching
If you have your settings enabled to match dynamic range and/or match frame rate it may be causing your screen to go black as your Apple TV is attempting to automatically determine which dynamic ranges or frame rates are supported by your TV. While your TV is trying to change between the different formats it’s causing Apple TV to crash so it may be better if you just turn these settings off and avoid this issue altogether.
To disable this option open up the Settings on your Apple TV and select Video and Audio then Match Content. In this menu deselect both options for Match Dynamic Range and Match Frame Rate. This will disable both of these options and get your Apple TV back to normal so that this black screen issue doesn’t continue.
4. Try a different HDMI and port
If you’ve tried the above steps but your Apple TV is still showing a black screen then you can try and check to make sure that all your cables and ports are connected correctly to see if that fixes the issue. First, unplug your HDMI cable from both your Apple TV device and your TV. Leave it unplugged for a moment before you plug it back in. Make sure you fully push the cable in to ensure that you have a good connection.
After you’ve plugged in your HDMI cable go into your TV settings and make sure that you’ve chosen the correct HDMI port for where your Apple TV is plugged into. If none of that works then it might be an issue with your actual HDMI cable, try switching to a new one to see if that helps.
5. Update tvOS
Another thing you can try to fix Apple TV black screen is updating your tvOS to make sure that you’re running on the most current version. If you’re running on an old tvOS version it may have some bugs that were fixed in the new update so make sure that you’re up to date so that everything can work properly.
To check if you’re on the most current software version open up the Settings menu on your Apple TV. Go to System then Software Update and select Update Software. If there is a new version available there will be a message displayed letting you know that you can update. If you see an update available select Download and Install to begin installing the newer software.
Do not disconnect your Apple TV while the update is in progress. The status light on your Apple TV device should be flashing slowly to indicate that the update is still installing so wait until it stops flashing and your Apple TV restarts.
6. Restore Apple TV via Recovery Mode
If nothing you’re doing so far has resolved the Apple TV blank screen issue then you can try putting your Apple TV into recovery mode and restoring it. Putting your Apple TV into recovery mode is basically like putting it into DFU mode so that while you’re in Recovery Mode your Apple TV is capable of communicating with iTunes to update or restore your software.
Since you don’t have access to the menu on your Apple TV due to the screen being blank then to put it into recovery mode you’ll have to plug it into the power outlet and then unplug it about 5 or 6 times until eventually, you see the Recovery Mode screen pop up.
Once in Recovery Mode connect your Apple TV to iTunes and you will get a message saying that you connected a device that is in Recovery Mode, then you will be given the option to Restore and Update it. Click on the Restore and Update option and follow the instructions on iTunes until the process is complete.
7. Use a Tool
Another option to fix Apple TV black screen is to use third-party software. There is a tool from iMobie called AnyFix that may be able to help you. AnyFix claims to be able to help with over 130 different problems with Apple devices including Apple TV so they are capable of solving almost any issue that you may have.
They offer 24/7 customer support and are always there to help and answer any questions you may have. There are 3 different repair tiers depending on how serious your needs are, ranging from Standard Repair, Advanced Repair, and Ultimate Repair. AnyFix has over 100,000 satisfied customers and is a great tool to have and use for these situations where you’re having an issue with an Apple device that you don’t know how to solve. It’s simple to use, just plug in your device and diagnose it to see what’s wrong then they will tell you exactly what you need to do to fix the problem.
How to Fix Apple TV Black Screen with Sound
Some people reported that their Apple TV has sound but no picture with a blank screen. If your Apple TV is connected to an external monitor then you should check if it supports HDCP. It’s important to check HDCP compatibility because using an external monitor that doesn’t have HDCP can cause your screen to go black with sound. HDCP is used to help digital streaming platforms like Apple TV for example protect themselves against their content getting copied and pirated.
So if you don’t have HDCP on your monitor it may be causing Apple TV black screen with sound as a way to protect Apple TV against unauthorized copies of its content being made. If you are using a monitor that doesn’t have HDCP and you are getting a black screen then you should disconnect your Apple TV and use a different monitor or TV instead. If you do use another monitor then make sure that it does support HDCP so you don’t end up with the same issue.
